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The Night Beat: Sorry Charlie — What matters tomorrow...tonight. Subscribe to @marcambinder — 1. Gaggling on AF1 tonight, Obama sounds skeptical he'll see immigration bill this year; says there “may not be an appetite” in Congress ... praises Lindsey Graham by name... gives hints of new federal border protection measures. ...
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Crist Tries to Call Rahm Emanuel — Marc Ambinder reports: … What's Crist up to? Might he be interested in cutting a deal to caucus with the Democrats if they chase Meek from the field? — Who knows? But the most plausible path to victory for Crist is if Meek backs him.

steve schale — Observations on the Land of 27 from one of its leading political strategists. — Ladies and Gentlemen, you only thought Florida politics was crazy. Well today it just got even more interesting. — So, can he do it? — Only a fool would say for sure.

Florida voter Huckabee blasts Crist — Newly minted Florida resident Mike Huckabee says, in a statement through a spokesman, that his governor appears only to be “thinking about himself” in a planned departure from the Gop: — I have been reading news accounts of Governor Crist's imminent switch to “No Party Affiliation.”
Discussion:
The Page


Crist Looks to Go It Alone
Discussion:
The Note, St. Petersburg Times, The Politico, CBS News, Beltway Confidential, New York Times, Slate, Washington Times, The Fix, GOP 12, Washington Wire and Doug Ross

Marco Rubio campaign assesses how 3-way race plays out: Crist is toast
Discussion:
stevenschale.com


OBAMA & BIG SIS Call In Riot Police on Quincy Tea Party Patriots (Video) — TEAM OBAMA CALLS IN SWAT TEAM ON TEA PARTY PATRIOTS! — The SWAT Team was called in today at the Quincy Tea Party Rally. Obama was speaking at the Oakley-Lindsey/Quincy Community Center this afternoon. — Unreal.
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Team Obama Calls Out Swat Team on Tea Party Patriots! — The SWAT Team was called in today at the Quincy Tea Party Rally. Obama was speaking at the convention center this afternoon. — Unreal. — They didn't want any violence from these threatening protesters. — In Full Riot Gear!!

Illinois Sends Riot Police to Peaceful Protest in Quincy, Illinois

Illegal immigrants plan to leave over Ariz. law — PHOENIX (AP) — Many of the cars that once stopped in the Home Depot parking lot to pick up day laborers to hang drywall or do landscaping now just drive on by. — Arizona's sweeping immigration bill allows police to arrest illegal immigrant …
Discussion:
THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Strata-Sphere, Left Coast Rebel, RedState, Riehl World View and DaTechguy's Blog
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REPORT: Following Passage Of Arizona Law, At Least Seven States …
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TPMDC, Colorado Independent, Cincinnati.com, TPM LiveWire, fox4kc.com, wake.mync.com and Hullabaloo


Breaking news: I am not white! — I'm still on the road and our wonderful guest-bloggers will be dropping in again today and tomorrow. The hate mail is on an increase again thanks to my outspoken defense of Arizona's immigration enforcement measure. Too many to choose from, but here's a typical response:
Discussion:
Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
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Op-Ed Contributor: Why Arizona Had to Draw a Line on Illegal Immigrants — ON Friday, Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona signed a law — SB 1070 — that prohibits the harboring of illegal aliens and makes it a state crime for an alien to commit certain federal immigration crimes.

Why the Dodd Financial Services Bill Is Bad... For Democrats — The New York Times' headline said it all: “Off Wall St., Worries About Financial Bill”. The Democrats in Washington may think it's a slam dunk, but the rest of America doesn't agree. — Look, those who are on the side …
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Cover girl Pelosi looking rather ... airy in D.C. glossy — If Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears get flak for airbrushing their photos, why not the speaker of the House? — If you haven't managed to score a copy of the May/June 2010 edition of Capitol File magazine (typically flanked …


Republicans hope to win three symbolic Senate seats — Every now and then, there comes a congressional race so fraught with history and symbolism that it becomes as much about sending a message as winning a seat. — This year, Republicans are looking to hit the trifecta in the Senate.

U.S. Subpoenas Times Reporter Over Book on C.I.A. — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is seeking to compel a writer to testify about his confidential sources for a 2006 book about the Central Intelligence Agency, a rare step that was authorized by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.


The Insurance Mandate in Peril — First Congress said it was a regulation of commerce. Now it's supposed to be a tax. Neither claim will survive Supreme Court scrutiny. — A"tell" in poker is a subtle but detectable change in a player's behavior or demeanor that reveals clues about the player's assessment of his hand.
Discussion:
Betsy's Page

How Reversible Is The Euro? — For a long time my view on the euro has been that it may well have been a mistake, but that bygones were bygones — it could not be undone. I was strongly influenced by the view expressed by Barry Eichengreen in a classic 2007 article (although I had heard that argument …
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Worthwhile Canadian Initiative, Felix Salmon, Outside The Beltway, EconLog and Ezra Klein


White House seeks to soften Iran sanctions — Wants exemption for firms based in China and Russia — The Obama administration is pressing Congress to provide an exemption from Iran sanctions to companies based in “cooperating countries,” a move that likely would exempt Chinese …

Brown's ‘bigot’ episode shows him acting not out of character, but in it | Andrew Rawnsley — On the Brownout Scale of volcanic eruptions this was only a three or four — I would not have wanted to be the seat upholstery of Gordon Brown's car when he was told the radio microphone on his lapel was live.
Discussion:
Commentary, Telegraph, normblog, Left Foot Forward, thetorydiary, Swampland, The Daily Dish, Marbury, Hopi Sen, FP Passport and The Lede
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General election 2010: Gordon Brown's brush with ordinary voters goes horribly wrong
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars

Justices' Ruling Blocks Cross Removal — WASHINGTON — A badly fractured Supreme Court, with six justices writing opinions, reopened the possibility on Wednesday that a large cross serving as a war memorial in a remote part of the Mojave Desert may be permitted to remain there.
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Way early in the process, Dent has 12-point lead over Callahan — Incumbent Republican Charlie Dent holds a 12-point lead over Democrat John Callahan in a so far hypothetical race for the Lehigh Valley's 15th Congressional District, according to a new Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll.
Discussion:
The Eye


Sarah Palin — If Sarah Palin played a loud, grinding instrument, she would be in my band. The independent patriotic spirit, attitude and soul of our forefathers are alive and well in Sarah. In the way she lives, what she says and how she dedicates herself to make America better …

Ohio Senate, Governor Races Remain Tight, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Obama Still Under Water — Democrats have small leads for governor and U.S. Senator in Ohio, while President Barack Obama's job approval remains stuck in the mid 40s, and the new health care legislation is decidedly unpopular …


Barofsky Says Criminal Charges Possible in Alleged AIG Coverup — Neil Barofsky was unpacking boxes in December 2008 when the stench of sewage wafted through the hallways at the 168-year-old Main Treasury Building. The space assigned to him as head of the Office of the Special Inspector General …
Discussion:
DealBook, The Agonist, naked capitalism, New York Magazine, The Big Picture and Politics in the Zeros

Sen. DeMint: Obama manipulating, ‘thinks Americans are stupid’ — Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) had some harsh words for President Barack Obama on Wednesday, accusing him of using the media to manipulate the American people. — Obama “thinks Americans are stupid,” DeMint said.
Discussion:
SENATUS